Road sail oh fore



H. B. LOXTERMAN ROAD RAIL OR FORM Original Filed Me 1y '7. 1919 'Nov. 13 1923.

Patented Nov. 13, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,473,730 PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD B. LOXTERMAN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO BLAW- KNOX COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ROAD RAIL OR FORIVZ.

Original application filed May 7, 1919, Serial No. 295,282.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD B. Lox'rnn- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and useful Improve ments in Road Rails or Forms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to road rails or forms for the construction of concrete roads, walks and the like, such as are illustrated in my copending application, Serial No. 295,282, filed May 7th, 1919, which application has become Patent No. 1,379,457, under date of May, 24, 1921. The present application is a division of this former application and it has for its primary object the provision of a rail of the character described having a greatly improved coupling means whereby adjacent sections may be readily placed end to end and quickly coupled and in which counterpart sections may be employed.

Still other objects of the invention coutemplate the provision of means for coupling the ends of adjacent rails which will not necessitate relative longitudinal movement between adjacent sections in order to accomplish the coupling function; the provision of a rail which has a slidable coupling member at one end and a coupling receiving space at the other end into which the sliding coupling of an adjacent rail is adapted to fit; and the provision of a sliding coupling member which is carried by the rail and which, therefore, does not require the provision of separate parts.

The foregoing, together with such other objects as may hereinafter appear or are incident to my invention, I obtain by means of a construction which I have illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view ofa rail sec tion embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken through two coupled rails; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line l& of Fig. 2.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be seen that my improved rail comprises a metallic member 7 of channel form, the upper flange 8 having its edge or extremity bent down to provide a vertical flange 8, such vertical Divided and this application filed May 5,

Serial No, 467,058.

flange adding greatly to the strength and rigidity of the form. The bottom flange 9 of the rail is much wider than the upper flange and provides, when the rail is set up for construction, a greatly extended bearing surface on the earth on which the form rests.

At intervals throughout the length of the form I provide a plurality of vertical straps 10, which are preferably riveted, or otherwise secured, to both the bottom flange 9 and the vertical flange 8, in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. It will be seen therefore, that the straps 10 are spaced away from the web of the rail, and this together with the fact that the straps are riveted to both flanges of the rail, adds greatly to the strength and rigidity of the form, the importance of which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Secured to each strap 10 is a horizontally disposed U-shaped stake receiving yoke 11, projecting laterally beyond the edge of the flange 9 a substantial distance, as shown in Figure 2 for example. The limbs of the yoke are apertured horizontally to receive fastening or anchoring wedges 12.

I prefer to use round iron stakes 13, having their upper ends tapered, as indicated at 14 in Figure 3, for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. When the wedges 12 are driven home, they will force or draw the stakes to the base or U portion of the yokes thus ensuring an extended frictional contact between the stakes and such U shaped portions. As a result of this arrangement, it will be readily seen that the rail can be raised or lowered to any desired position of adjustment and that it will there be securely held.

Referring now to those coupling features of my invention to which this divisional application especially relates and whereby I am enabled to use counterpart sections, and obtain other advantages hereinbefore mentioned, I provide each section with a male end a and a female end 6.

At the male end of the rail, I provide a strap 15 which is spaced away from the web of the rail and is secured to the top and bottom flanges thereof. Interposed between such strap and the web of the rail, l provide a slide 16 such slide consisting .of a flat plate having flanged portions or in the desired position of adjustment.

lips 17 and 18 bent up from its vertical edges. The flanged portions 17 and 18, however, terminate short of the top and bottom edges of the slide for reasons which will further appear.

At the female end of the rail, I provide two angle or bracket pieces 19, one secured to the flange 8 and the other to the flange 9 and both spaced sufficiently far from the Web of the rail to permit the slide 16 to be slipped into position ,therebetween, as illustrated in Fig. The flanges 17 and 18 provide a means for readily shifting the slide and at the same time they prevent the slide from falling out of place and becoming lost. Each section is, therefore, self contained and counterpart sections when placed end to end can be readily and quickly coupled and uncoupled.

In setting up the rails, a line is stretched and the inside face or vertical face of the rail is set to the line. The stakes are then driven into the ground so that the tops thereof are preferably several inches below the top of the rail that is to say below that portion of the rail which is bent down to form the vertical flange 8 The forms or rails are now lined up to the desired elevation by inserting the steel wedges and driving them home, thus securing the rails In taking down or dismantling the forms, the Wedges are first Withdrawn and then the rails are backed away from the concrete, an operation which is made possible by the length of the U- haped stake receiving yokes, and then the rails are lifted from the stakes. In this connection it is to be observed that by providing the stakes with rounded or tapered tops, the burr causedv by hammering the stakes, will be reduced to a negligible factor, if not entirely eli1ninated, thus permitting the raising of the rails above the stakes.

Where it is intended to use dividing plates or expansion plates in connection with my improved forms, I provide the forms with one or more apertures 20 in the flange 8 and a, vertical slot or slots 21 in the'web permitting the introduction of the hooked 1. A road rail or form comprising a rail member, a coupling carried by, and slidable longitudinally of the rail, and means limiting the longitudinal movement' of the coup ling with respect to the rail and preventing separation of the coupling from the rail.

2. A road rail or form comprising a rail rne1nber,'a coupling slidable longitudinally of the rail, and means reventing separation of the coupling fromt 1e rail.

8. A road rail or form comprising a rail member, provided with a coupling receiving space at one end and a coupling carried by the other end of said rail and slidable longitudinally thereof, in combination with means limiting relative longitudinal movement between said rail and coupling and preventing separation of the coupling from the rail.

at. In a road rail or form including two rails adapted to be positioned'with their ends abutting, the combination of 'a member carried by one end and spaced therefrom to provide a'coupling receiving space, and a coupling carried by the other rail and adapted forlongitudinal movement with respect thereto, said coupling being adapted to enter said space, means limiting the longitudinal movement of the coupling with respect to the rail and preventing separation of the coupling from the rail.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signedmy name.

HOWARD B. LOXIERMAN. 

